About the Second Tuesday
Lecture Series

Since 1985, the series has presented over 140 noted speakers in the arts, academia, and politics in lectures, discussions, and readings. Speakers representing every major cultural award in America, including the Pulitzer Prize, the Grammy Award (Grammys), the Academy Award (The Oscars), Broadway's Tony Awards, the Lambda Literary Award, the National Book Award, and the British Man Booker award, have made presentations.

It was through this program that Larry Kramer (a last minute replacement speaker) in March 1987 spoke about the devastating plight of the AIDS Crisis. Critical of the organized community's response to the disease, what began as a speech led to an intense discussion and the decision to meet again the following week to see what could be done. This was the beginning of ACT-UP (The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), which became one of the largest direct action AIDS organizations in the world.

Unless noted otherwise, Second Tuesday programs start at 7:00pm, often with a reception before the presentation. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center recommends a donation of $10, although all donations are voluntary and all proceeds go to The Center.

Upcoming Speakers

Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at 7:00 pm (note special date)

Terrence McNally is one of the American theatre’s most important living playwrights. His new book, Selected Works: A Memoir in Plays, presents eight of his most popular plays with a personal essay on each play. Hear him read from the book and discuss his life in theater at The LGBT Center on a very special "second Tuesday" presentation.

Portrait by Jeffrey Hornstein

McNally is the author of over thirty plays, and has written for musical theatre, opera, television, and film. He has received the Tony Award for Best Play for Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class, as well as the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime. His other accolades include an Emmy Award, two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, and multiple other awards and recognitions.

From the Broadway cast of Love! Valour! Compassion!

His new book Selected Works: A Memoir in Plays includes eight plays (Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; The Lisbon Traviata; Lips Together, Teeth Apart; A Perfect Ganesh; Love! Valour! Compassion!; Master Class; And Away We Go; and the recently Tony nominated Mothers and Sons) that he considers the most important. McNally introduces each play with a essay that recounts an anecdote or discusses an aspect of the play. Selected Plays is a landmark, a memoir in plays from one of America’s best-loved playwrights..